


Breathe

by FernShaw



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, I guess Tiso sort of have PTSD, M/M, Post Monomon's death, Quirrel is a very good guy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25536727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FernShaw/pseuds/FernShaw
Summary: Tiso gets destroyed in the coliseum of fools, but thankfully someone is willing to help
Relationships: Quirrel/Tiso (Hollow Knight)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 66





	Breathe

Cold. The world around his body was cold. His mind, flooded with little bits of information that he didn't took time to understand felt blurry. His vision was barely useful, giving him only white and a small amount of grey, the edge where he fell from. Was this reality ? Was he even here, in Hallownest ? Yes. He was. The pain in his chest made him understand that. He was pretty sure that his shell was cracked in multiple parts but he couldn't see or feel it. He just felt this awful pain that made breathing nearly impossible. But focusing on the pain was the only method he knew not to pass out. Because if he passed out in this state, there was no way he would be making it. Breathe in, breathe out. Focus on how much it hurts. Focus on how much that stupidly strong infected walking trashcan destroyed you. Focus about ...  
Focus ...

When the bug went back to consciousness, he was pretty sure he was dreaming. That's what people did after they died, right ? They dreamt for eternity, a nice and relaxing dream that would give them all of the comfort and glory they needed.  
But after trying to get up and letting out the loudest sound he ever made, Tiso understand he clearly wasn't dreaming. That, or dreams were really far from what he expected.

"Oh ! You're awake ! Are you alright ?!"

Tiso's mind was still too blurry to give a response with actual reasoning behind it. He didn't care who this was, where was he or why was even alive in the first place.

"Nah I'm not alright everythinmm fuckin hurtss ..."

He hugged the closest thing that ressembled a pillow and started to mumble under his breath before going back to sleep.

The second time he got up was the kicker. He opened his eyes, and finally had a few braincells starting to function once again. He slowly unwrapped his arms of the soft thing he was hugging, before realizing that it wasn't a sort of pillow but a bug.

"WHAT THE-"

The ant fell on his back, eyes closed and arms over his head, way too lost to process that he wasn't in actual danger. He quickly felt that he was brought back to his knees, and opened back his eyes to see a smaller bug look up to him with quite a surprised face.

"Are you feeling better ?"

"Yeah ... I guess ..."

The pillbugs chuckled seeing the ant still regaining consciousness. Tiso waited a few seconds before the reason he was here in the first place came to his mind. The coloseum. He lost. And his chest was completely destroyed. He quickly looked at his shell only to see it covered in bandages. It hurted a little bit when he moved, but nothing too hard.

"I don't think you'll be able to recover fully, sorry about that. You're just the only person I saw there that was still breathing and I did my best to stitch you up and bring you to a safe place."

"What do you ... Why did you find me ?"

"That's kind of a weird question. I was just wandering around kingdom's edge, I never went there before and I really like the view. Well, I guess I went there before, I just don't remember it ..."

"No I mean ... How are you still alive after going there ?!"

"I just didn't fell into the acid ? I'm pretty good with climbing, especially with all of that ash that helped my fingers not to break. But I'll admit, I'm curious of why were there so many bodies around. Is there something toxic at the top of that place ?"

"Toxic ? Wha- no ?! Have you heard of the coloseum before ?"

"No ... What is that ?"

"An arena. It's a place where bugs fight to the death for glory. And they just throw the dead bodies from there hoping they'll land in the acid."

"I see ... I'm guessing you were one of those fighters."

Tiso wrapped his arms around his body, not too tightly to prevent any more injuries. It hurt to admit he lost. He wanted to go this place so badly. He was sure he would win. He was so close to ending this final trial ... Yet he failed miserably. That was his goal for so long. He was just weak. He felt like he didn't even deserved to make it this far. He should've died in the acid not to see the cruel reality up there.

After a little while of being lost on his thoughts, Tiso felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, it's fine ! I mean ... I don't know what happened in that coloseum and I'm guessing it wasn't that fun, but you're here now. No one's going to hurt you anymore, I promise."

"Thanks ...?"

"Quirrel."

"Thanks Quirrel. Tiso, by the way."

Tiso got up, sighed and looked around. Nothing much to be seen. A fire, a few things to eat, a small bag of medical stuff and a large shiny nail.

"Do you any goal in mind Quirrel ?"

"A goal ? Haha ... I'm ..."

The pillbug put a hand on his head, like trying to look for some kind of hat, all with a pretty pitiful face.

"No. I don't have a goal, not anymore. I'm just ... An explorer. I just wander around and try to see if I can discover pretty things. It's a pretty sad and lonely life but ... I feel like I have nothing better to do."

"Take me with you."

"Wha-"

"I said, take me with you."

"But why ?!"

"You might not have a precise purpose but you know what you're doing. You want to discover new things. But me ? I just ... I don't. I don't know what to do, I don't know how to do ir, and more than anything I'm scared. I don't want to be alone. Not anymore. You said you were lonely ? You're not going to be lonely anymore. That's all."

Quirrel chuckled once again.

"You're kind of reckless, aren't you ?"

"I ... Guess I am. But I feel like I have some things left to do. And I don't want to be alone for it."

"Fine. I'll let you come with me if you want it so badly. I won't lie ... I wouldn't mind some company."

Tiso smiled as he watched the pillbug extinguish the fire and getting back his stuff.

"So. Are you coming ?"

"You bet I am."

**Author's Note:**

> Gotta feed others shippers than Lacenet guys


End file.
